Traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, especially in children and young adults. Males sustain traumatic brain injuries more frequently than do females. Causes of TBI include falls, vehicle accidents, sports injuries, and violence. Prevention measures include the use of technology to protect those suffering from automobile accidents, such as seat belts, and helmets for sporting participants or motorcycle users.
Brain trauma may occur as a consequence of a focal impact upon the head, by a sudden acceleration/deceleration within the cranium or by a complex combination of both movement and sudden impact. In addition to the damage caused at the moment of injury, brain trauma causes secondary injury, a variety of events that take place in the minutes and days following the injury. These processes, which include alterations in cerebral blood flow and the pressure within the skull, contribute substantially to the damage from the initial injury. Thus, the speed at which treatment is begun can have a substantial and positive impact for mitigating the long-term effects of TBI. FIG. 1 shows a general timeline in the form of brain trauma windows of amelioration opportunities for treatment of TBI.
The recognition of traumatic brain injuries especially in helmet wearing sports such as football and motor racing has increasingly been recognized in recent years, as well as the need to speedily treat these injuries. Thus there exist a need for improved devices and methods for rapidly introducing treatment to patients suffering traumatic brain injuries.